The present invention relates to a dispenser for moist wipe material comprising a support member carrying a holder for a supply of material, a reservoir for a moistening fluid, a tank for dispensing moistening fluid into the fluid reservoir to maintain a desired level of fluid therein, a first roller disposed in the reservoir and having a first surface region dipping into the reservoir to a depth below the level, a means for driving the first roller to transport moistening fluid from the reservoir to material contacting a second surface region of the first roller spaced from the first region and a second roller for pressing the web of material onto the first roller.
A dispenser of this kind is described, for example in WO 03/047410 A1. The dispenser shown there includes a roll of dry toilet paper and a further roll of hygiene paper which can be moistened. The dispenser can be realized with both the dry toilet paper and hygiene paper or can be used solely for dispensing hygiene paper.
Despite its advantageous design with regard to the transport of the hygiene paper and the ability to moisten the hygiene paper without the hygiene paper tearing due to it loosening strength when wet, the known dispenser is not really suitable for use with a fluid medium which contains volatile components or is itself volatile. By way of example, the present invention recognizes that there is a need to provide a dispenser capable of dispensing moist wipe material moistened with an alcohol/water mixture, such as is used by medical personnel for cleaning their hands to ensure these are hygienically sterile. Such water/alcohol mixtures typically contain water/propanol in a 50/50 mixture. Since a tank of this mixture and the fluid reservoir that is connected to it can last for a relatively long period of time, a significant problem arises in that the alcohol component vaporizes and the strength of the mixture gradually decreases over time which is not acceptable from the point of clinical practice. Similar problems can also occur if the fluid is, for example, a usual organic solvent, such as methanol or brake-cleaning fluid. In either case, vaporization of the fluid leads to a loss of fluid and could, in a critical environment, even constitute a fire hazard. It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a modified dispenser which is able to operate with fluids containing volatile components or volatile fluids per se which makes it possible to significantly reduce the loss of the readily vaporizable component from the mixture or the loss of the vaporizable fluid per se, but which does not impair the transport of the material through the dispenser in particular in the area of the first and second rolls, and which simultaneously represents a simple and readily practical design which can be manufactured at relatively advantageous cost and which is simple to use and reliable in use and prevents unwanted tearing of the moist wipe material. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a dispenser which can prevent unwanted contamination of the moistening fluid